The ONLY Wedding Dress Shopping Glossary You Need

For as far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with wedding dresses. The yards and yards of silk, tulle, satin, lace, brocade, chiffon, crepe, georgette, moire, organza, polyester, taffeta, or velvet fabric, with different necklines and sleeves and drapes, with ruffles, tiers, ruching, pleats, and slits. Phew! I just love every last thing about wedding dresses.

I remember seeing my mother’s wedding dress for the first time, when I was about five years old. She had brought it out of its hallowed resting place to air it out. It was a beautiful Chantilly lace A-line creation, with Juliet sleeves and a high neckline. It was the most beautiful thing I’d seen in my short little life till then. That was the beginning of my lifetime romance with wedding dresses.

It was much later, in my teen years that I learnt the myriad designs, fabrics, necklines, sleeves, trains, and silhouettes that so fascinated me when I was a kid. So I thought it was about time I put together a comprehensive list of all that I’ve learnt, that would be helpful for someone going wedding dress shopping.

So if you’re a bride-to-be going wedding dress shopping in the near future, then you’d do well to know these terms, so that you don’t get lost in all the mumbo-jumbo spouted by the sales clerk. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girly girl who’s planning her wedding since she was six, or someone who just wants to find a dress that fits her fierce personality, you need to know these terms.

Let’s get to it!

I. Glossary:This list of terms will guide you through the following sections. These terms are commonly used in wedding dress shopping lingo.

1. Bustle

This is a poof of fabric at the back of the dress, which holds it back, so that it would ease your movement.

2. Bodice

A bodice is the upper part of a wedding dress, sans the sleeves.

3. Boning

This is the stiff insertion inside the seams of strapless wedding dresses, that prevents the bodice from gaping open.

4. Train

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This is the long back part of a wedding dress, that usually trails behind you.

5. Tiers

The various layers of a skirt of some wedding dresses are what are tiers.

II. Fabrics:The various materials that are used to make the beautiful and elegant wedding dresses.

1. Brocade

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It’s a rich Jacquard-woven fabric that has raised patterns.

2. Charmeuse

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This is usually silk, but can also be synthetic. It’s a light yet rich fabric with a lovely drape and a semi-lustrous sheen, which feels like satin to the touch.

3. Chiffon

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Sheer, delicate, lightweight, and transparent, chiffon is a light woven fabric. It’s made from silk or rayon, that is often layered. It’s popularly used for overskirts, wraps, and sheer sleeves. It drapes nicely over the body.

4. Crepe

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Crepe is identifiable with its crinkled surface. It’s again a light, soft, and thin fabric.

5. Georgette

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Often made with polyester or silk, georgette is a lightweight fabric, which is again sheer.

6. Lace

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Lace is often used for overlays and to add other detailing on the dress. There are myriad styles of lace, most often named for the city they were originally produced. These include Chantilly, Alençon, Guipure, and Venise.

7. Moire

This has a wavy appearance, which is usually made of silk.

8. Organza

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This is a lightweight woven fabric, which is sheer but far stiffer than chiffon. It’s popular for sleeves, overlays, backs, and skirts.

9. Satin

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Made using silk, nylon, or polyester, this is a heavy fabric that has a quiet luster to it.

10. Silk

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This is a rich and rightly expensive fabric, that comes in various different textures – raw silk and silk mikado, being two examples.

11. Taffeta

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It is a crisp, smooth, woven fabric, usually made from silk, that has a slight rib.

12. Tulle

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A light, net-like fabric that is sheer and made from silk, rayon, or nylon. This is mainly used for skirts and veils.

Larger than sequins, crystals are sewn onto the wedding dress to add lots of sparkle, thanks to their highly faceted appearance.

5. Bugle beads

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These are long, tube-shaped glass beads.

So there you go. All the terms you need to have at the tip of your tongue when you go wedding dress shopping. Even if your wedding is a long way off, it’s always good to improve your knowledge and wedding dress vocabulary, no?

Summary

Article Name

The ONLY Wedding Dress Shopping Glossary You Need

Author

Emily Walker

Description

Before going wedding dress shopping, you NEED to know these terms!

Emily Walker

My first love: writing. My second love: reading. My third love: my job, which lets me indulge in my first and second loves. If not writing, I can't imagine what my life would be like. Let's hope that day doesn't come ever!